STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK

Architect Jolyon Sawrey found himself with plenty of brain teasers as he helped design Mountain Rides’ new electric bus facility in Bellevue.

He had to figure out how to fit the facility on a somewhat triangular piece of ground for starters. And, when it came to the bus wash, he pondered how to build it so the walls wouldn’t disintegrate as he’d seen so many car washes do.

“I’d never done this before but I finally found my answer with portable swimming pools,” said Sawrey, who had workers paint the concrete blocks with swimming pool liner.

Scaffolding on top allows Carlos Tellez and his employees to inspect buses.

Mountain Rides cut the ribbon on its new facility at 121 Clover St. on Friday during a ceremony that included tours of the facility and a breakfast buffet of sweet rolls, focaccia bites and fruit prepared by caterer Judith McQueen.

The $5.5-million facility was completed about $700,000 under budget and…well, almost on time, said Wally Morgus, executive director of Mountain Rides. And it provides the heated accommodations necessary so Mountain Rides can have an all-electric fleet.

Having an all-electric fleet will save money, as it costs between 22 and 25 cents a mile to operate electric buses and 52 cents a mile to operate diesel buses. That said, Mountain Rides will keep four diesel buses on hand in case the electric grid should go down as it did on Christmas Eve years ago.

Electric buses have zero emissions.

Jolyon Sawrey and Carlos Tellez show off the electric bus wash which, like the charging and parking bays, has drainage underneath the middle of the bus.

“Transportation is important for the economic vitality of the valley,” Morgus said. “This highlights our commitment to greener, cleaner, sustainable transportation. It offers long-term cost savings and quality of life for riders and the community.”

The asphalt outside the bus facility is heated with radiant heat so no snow and ice can build up as the buses enter and leave the facility.

Inside, the floor is also heated with radiant heat, and drainage is located underneath the buses so snowmelt runs underneath the buses rather than pooling around them.

Inside there are charging ports that can charge nine buses at a time.

Facilities Manager Carlos Tellez discusses the charging stations behind him.

Buses take 2.5 to three hours to charge. They charge at 150 kw hours so you could charge a hybrid in three minutes, Morgus said.

Scaffolding allows workers to inspect the tops of buses. A forklift is on hand to lift in place the batteries used in the rear of the bus. Another overhead apparatus lowers the other battery packs, which weigh 1,200 pounds each, into the top of the bus.

The bus wash is able to recycle and reuse 70 percent of the water. Washing the salt and slop off buses helps them last longer, in addition to keeping them clean looking.

The $5.5 million facility was made possible through $4.5 million federal grants provided by the Idaho Transportation Department with Federal Transportation Administration funds.

Grady Burnett said that Mountain Rides can cut its fuel costs in half with electric buses.

About 700,000 people utilized Mountain Rides in 2024, said Grady Burnett, Mountain Rides’ board chair. Buses set out at 6 in the morning and get back to the Bellevue facility about 1 a.m.

Mountain Rides currently has eleven 35-foot buses, four smaller buses and a couple vans. Two more electric buses are expected come January. Thirteen buses ply the roads during winter and eight during summer.

They ferry thousands of visitors to the ski mountain and Sun Valley Symphony Pavilion, he said. And Mountain Rides vans take Wood River Valley residents to Twin Falls for doctor’s appointments and treatments. Vans bring workers from Jerome, Gooding, Shoshone and Twin Falls, while ADA transportation caters to wheelchair users and others with limited mobility.

Mountain Rides currently has eleven 35-foot buses four smaller buses and a couple vans. Two more electric buses are expected come January. Thirteen buses ply the roads during winter and eight during summer.

“I don’t believe any organization is more important to this community than this organization,” said Burnett. “Without this transportation, the valley would grind to a halt.”

Bellevue resident Susan Dechevrieux was among those who showed up for the ribbon cutting.

“I’ve used their free van service to go to Twin when I had cataract surgery. You drive down and you meet the nicest people on the van. And the drivers are all so personable. They ask what time you have to be at your appointment and what time they need to pick you up. And in winter you don’t have to worry about driving in the ice and snow because you have the bus.”

NEXT ON THE AGENDA:

Mountain Rides plans to install solar panels for its new facility to generate electric power.